Method of and apparatus for felting fibrous material



- Dec.2s,1943.` w s RAINFORD Em 2,337,726

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR FELTING FIBROUS MATERIAL Filed Feb. l2, 1942 f dg CHafaSOIv T5 WWW-w www Patented Dec. 28, 1943 METHD F ANDv APPARATUS FOR FELTING FIBROUS MATERIAL Warren S. Ralnford, Bergeniield, and, EddyV C.

' Hanson, Dumont, N. J.

Application February 12, 1942, serial No. 430,652

11 Claims.

The present invention relates to a method of and apparatus for felting fibrous material and thereby producing a batting.

An important object of the invention is to provide means whereby the fibrous material is introduced into a felting chamber by air pressure so that the -flbrous material is deposited upon a foraminous carrier and the pressure within the felting chamber is maintained above atmospheric pressure so that the increased pressure aids in the feeding of the felted material from the felt ing chamber. I

A further object of the invention is to provide means to impart to the fibrous material a whirling action within the felting chamber so that the brous material is uniformly deposited upon the foraminous carrier.

A further object of the invention is to provide means whereby the felt is transferred to a traveling backing strip, immediately upon its 'discharge from the felting chamber. l

A further object of the invention is to provide means whereby the pressure above the upper surface of the foraminous carrier is greater than the pressure beneath the carrier, exteriorly of the feltlng chamber so that the felt will readily sepV arate from the 4foraminous carrier.

A further object of the inventionis to provide apparatus of the above-.mentioned character which is of simplied construction.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent during the course of the-following description.

In the accompanying drawing forming a part of this application and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same.

Figure 1 is' a side elevation of a felting machine embodying our invention,

Figure 2 is a front end elevation of the saine,y

Figure 3 is a vertical transverse section taken on line 8 3 of Figure 1, Y

Figure 4 s a vertical longitudinal section taken on line 4-4 of Figure 2, and

Figure 5 is a partly-diagrammatic view, showing the feeding and guiding means for the flexible sheet and associated elements.

In the drawing, wherein for the purpose of il lustration is shown a preferred embodiment of our invention, the numeral III designates a casing. This casing includes a lower felting chamber II, which is closed at 'its sides, ends and bot'- tom. The chamber II has its top open to form a main air discharge opening. This chamber also has a window I I' covered by glass or the like.

The casing I0 has its top-closed by a cover I2 and beneath this cover is a traveling foraminous carrler I3, in the form of an endless belt of screening material, such as wire gauze of 18 gauge.

The lower run of this `foraminous endless belt covers the open top of the feltlng chamber I I and is engaged by a flexible sealing strip I4, preferably formed of rubber, and which is carried by a wall I5, as shown. The sealing strip I4 is positioned at the intake end of the felting chamber II and the endless belt I3 extends outwardly beyond the same. At the outlet end of the felting chamber II is a batt discharge opening Ila and a pair of ro11s I8 and II, lwhich also constitute an air seal for the felting chamber.

I3 and is mounted upon a shaft I8 which is journaied within stationary bearings, while the roll I1` is disposed within the opening I6e andis4 mounted upon la shaft I9, operating within upstanding segmental slots 20. The shaft I9 is journaled in bearings 2l formed upon the arms 22 of bell-crank levers, having arms 23, drawn pivots by the springs 24 to move the roll I'I to-L ward the roll I6. The springs 24 Vserve to draw the rolls I6 and I1 together. The roll Il operates within the opening I6 and forms an' air seal, compresses the belt, and guides the sheet 53.

The endless belt I3 extends outwardly beyond the rolls I6 and I1, and the casing, outwardly of the felting chamber I I, is open to the atmosphere, as shown. Y

The endless belt I3 has its rear end passed about a transverse roll 28, mounted upon a shaft 29, Journaled in stationary bearings. 'The rear or discharge end of the endless belt I3 is passed about a roll 30 carried by a shaft 3| journaled in bearings 32, which are longitudinally adjustably mounted upon the casing Ill and are adjusted by rods 33 connected therewith and carrying nuts 34. The shaft 29 carries a grooved pulley 35 engaged by a belt 36, engaging'a grooved pulley 3l, mounted upon the shaft 3|. The rolls 28 and 30 therefore turn in unison. 3l is a belt guide pulley, rotatable upon the shaft I8 and 38' is a belt guide pulley rotatable upon the pivot 21.

The fibrous material is introduced into the felting chamber under pressure from a rotary blower 38, having an 'intake pipe 39 and an outlet pipe 40, discharging into the intake or rear end of the felting chamber II, adjacent to its bottom.

- The roll I6 is disposed above the lower run of the belt -stantiaily air tight f t therewith.

Disposed opposite the outlet pipe 40 is a current rotating plate or sheet 4I, having its axis of rotation horizontal. This sheet is circularly curved in cross-section and is substantially semicylindrical with its open side disposed inwardly and' opposite the outlet pipe 40. The plate or sheet 4I is disposed at the outlet end of the felt- `ing chamber adjacent to its bottom. The plate or sheet 4I is connected at its upper free end .with an inclined plate 42, extending` upwardly and terminating in close relation to the roll' I1. 'I'his sheet is resilient and urges a pivoted strip 43 toward the roll I'I, to form therewith a substantially air tight joint.

Arranged at the intake end of the casing I beneath the inclined wall 44 is a motor 45, which is rotatably supported near the discharge end of thechamber II and outwardly of the same. This roll carries a roll of flexible sheet material 53, jsuch as cloth, paper, or the like.

This continuous sheet 53 passes about the roll I'I upon the side thereof next to the discharge outlet of the v felting chamber II andlthen passes over the roll -II in an outward direction.- This sheet is fed longitudinally by being wound upon a take-up roll 54. An upper sheet 55 may beapplied to the upper surface of the batt,'if desired.

The longitudinal edges of 'the endlessbelt I3 travel in substantial contacting relation with the sides of the casingdll, for forming asub- If desired, suitable packing may be arranged between these edges of the belt I3 and the sides of the casing to effect a further air tight fit.

In the practice of the method, the operation of the apparatus is as follows: Y

The fibrous material employed may be cotton, china cotton, down, reused wool, repossessed `wool, kapok, hair, feathers, linters, jute, and

`discharges the same through the pipe 40, in an beneath the batt. The rolls I6 and I'I are driven by frictional engagement with the belt I3 and sheet 53 respectively. The longitudinal travel of the sheet' 53 may be effected by any suitable means, as by being wound upon a roll 54. The air blown into'the felting chamber II and having the fibrous materialv suspended therein is under pressure above atmospheric pressure. This pressure beneathA the lower run of the endless belt I3 tends to aid in feeding the batt 56 outwardly between the rolls I6 and I'I. 'I'he air under pressure passing into and through the endless belt I3 discharges to the, atmosphere at the discharge end of the chamber II, exteriorly of this chamber.- Some of this air is passing downwardly "and outwardly through the lower run of the endless belt I3 upon the outer sides of the rolls I6 and Il. It is therefore apparent that the instant that the batt passes upon the outer portions or sides of the rolls I6 and Il, it is subjected to the downward Aor outward action of the air escaping through the lower run of the endless belt, which aids in causing the maximum amount of the batting being transferred to the traveling sheet 53. When the sheet andl batting pass outwardly beyond thecasing I0, an upper sheet may be applied to the batting, if desired.

It is tobe understood that the form of our invention herewith shown and described is to be `taken as a preferred example of the same, and thatvarious changes may be made in the order of the steps of the method, and that changes may be made in the shape, size, and arrangement of parts of the apparatus, without departing from the spirit of our invention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

Having thus described our invention, whatwe claim is':

1. In apparatus for producing a batt, a felting chamber having an outlet opening at its top, a foraminous traveling carrier extending across the outlet opening, a blower having an inlet for receiving air and fibrous material and an outlet and contact with the lower face of the carrier,

air current, within which the 'fibrous material is suspended. This air current having the brous material suspended therein is projected against the cur'ved current rotating plate 4I,v

- the top of the felting chamber. The suspended fibrous material is deposited upon the lower face of this lower run and produces the batt 56. The lower run of the foraminous belt I3,with the batt applied thereto now passes outwardly of the felting chamber II between the rolls I6 and I1, with the arrangementofthe foraminous carrier being such that a batt is formed on the lower face of the carrier within the felting chamber, and means to transfer the batt from the foraminous traveling carrier to a flexible sheet, said means including an element to support the sheet as it is travel- `ing upwardly toward and in contact with the batt within the felting chamber, said means serving to guide the contacting batt and felting sheet t0 the exterior of the chamber, said means also serving as an' air seal.

2. In apparatus for producing a batt, a felting l discharge opening, meansto guide a flexible sheet y the exible sheet or backing' 53 which is passed,l 75 to the lower portion of the roll so that the sheet passes upwardly about the roll and next to the felting chamber, the felt being deposited upon the .upperface of the sheet, means to move the upper portion of the sheet from the discharge opening, and means coacting with the roll to produce an air seal, and a blower having its discharge end discharging into the chamber,.the

material .to a pressure above atmospheric pres-` sure, acting upon the suspended material while in the pressure above atmospheric pressure to deposit the same in a layer,'moving the deposited arrangement being such that the batt is appliedto the uilexible sheet before the batt passes to the exterior of the feltlng chamber.

3. In apparatus for producing a batt, a felting chamber having. a main air outlet opening near its top and a batt discharge opening near its end,

a foraminous traveling carrier arranged adjacent to and extending across the main air outlet opening and extending adjacent to the batt discharge y guide a hexible sheet about the roll upon thel side thereof next to the fe'lting chamber, means coacting with the roll to form an air seal, a. blowervdischarging into the felting chamber beneath the carrier, and means to impart a whirling motion to the air stream from the blower.

4. In apparatus for producing a batt, a felting chamber having its top open and provided with a batt discharge opening, a oraminous endless belt having its lower run extending across the open top of the chamber, the lower run extending through the batt discharge opening and passing to the exterior of the chamber, means to transfer the batt from the foraminous endless belt to a flexible sheet including a ilexible sheet carrying roll operating within the batt discharge opening and disposed beneath the lower run the inner side of the roll turning upwardly toward the lower run so that the sheet passes upwardly toward andin contact with the batt within the felting chamber, a, coacting roll disposed above the lower run, yielding meansl to draw the rolls together to provide an air seal, and a blower discharging into the chamber to introduce air and brous'rnaterial into the chamber and create a pressure therein above atmospheric pressure.

5. The method of producing a batt,- comprislayer in a predetermined longitudinal path, moving a nexible sheet into contact with the deposited layer of fibrous material while such layer of fibrous material is subjected to the pressure above atmospheric .pressure to apply the layer to the sheet, feeding the contacting deposited layer of fibrous material and the sheet from the presence of the pressure above atmospheric pressure, moving the liexible sheet exteriorly oi' the pressure above atmospheric. pressure laterally from the longitudinal path of the deposited layer, and causingv a portion oi' the pressure above atmospheric pressure to act upon the deposited layer to force the same against the sheet.

7. In apparatus ior producing` a batt, a elting chamber having its top open and provided with a batt discharge opening, a generally horizontal foraminous endless beit having its lower run extending across the top of the chamber and through the batt discharge opening and outwardiy beyond the batt discharge opening, means to transfer the batt from the lower run oi the passed about the lower sheet -carrying roll and guiding the upper portion of the nexible sheet so it is spaced downwardly from the lower run of the foraminous endless belt, and a blower discharging into the felting chamber for supplying air under pressure above atmospheric pressure and. having hbrous material suspended therein ingl providing a stream of air having ilbrousl material'suspended therein, subjecting the suspended material to a pressure above atmospheric pressure, acting upon the suspended material while in the pressure above atmospheric pressure to deposit the same in a layer, moving the deposited layer in a predetermined path, moving a flexible sheet into contact with the deposited layer of brous material while such brous material is subjected to the pressure above atmospheric pressure to apply the layer to the sheet,

feeding the contacting deposited layer of ilbrous material and the sheet from the presence of the pressure above atmospheric pressure and causing the pressure above atmospheric Pressure riaisuspended therein, subjecting the suspended into the felting chamber.

8. In apparatus ior producing a batt, a felting chamber having a main air outlet opening at its top and a batt discharge opening near one end, a substantially horizontal forammous traveling carrier extending across the main air outlet open.- ing and passing through the batt discharge opening, means to drive the carrier so that the felt deposited thereon passes through the batt discharge'opening, means for forming an air seal at the batt discharge opening including a roll arranged within the batt discharge opening, paying out and taking up rolls arranged near and exteriorly of the batt'discharge opening, the last named rolls carrying a flexible sheet which is passed about the Iace of the first named roll next to the felting chamber, means to drive the taking up roll so that the-upper run of the ilexible sheet passes from the batt discharge opening, and a blower discharging air under pressure and brous material into the felting chamber beneath the carrier to produce a pressure in the feltirig chamber aboutr atmospheric pressure.

9. In apparatus for producing a, batt, a felting chamber having its top' open and provided near one end. with a batt discharge opening, a foraminous endless belt having its lower run extending across the open top of the chamber, the discharge end of the endless belt extending through the batt discharge opening andpassing exteriorly of the felting chamber, means to transfer the batt from the lower run ofthe foraminousendless belt to a nexible sheet including a'ilexible sheet carrying roll' havingits inner side operating within the batt discharge opening beneath the lower run, the inner side of the roll turning upwardly toward the lower runr so that `the sheet passes upwardly toward and in contact with the batt within the felting chamberfmeans coacting with the roll to form an air seal, and a blower discharging into the felting chamber beneath said lower 'run and introducing air and fibrous material into the felting chamber and serving to create a pressure within the felting chamber above atmospheric pressure. e

l0. In apparatus for producing a batt, a felting chamber having its top open and providing near one end with a batt discharge opening, a foraminous endlessV belt having Aits lower run extending across the open top of the chamber, the discharge end of the endless belt extending through the batt discharge opening and passing exteriorly-of the felting chamber, means to transfer the batt from the lower run of the foraminous endless belt to a exible sheet including a ilex- ''ible'sheet carrying roll having its inner sidev operating within the batt discharge opening beneath the low'er run, the inner side of the roll turning upwardly toward the lower run so that the sheet passes upwardly toward and in contact with the batt within the felting chamber, means coacting with the roll to form an air seal, a blower having its outlet leading into one end of the felting chamber beneath said lower run for supplying air and brous material into the felting chamberand serving to create a pressure within the felting chamber above atmospheric l pressure, and a vertically curved plate arranged within the felting chamber adjacent to the opposite end of the felting chamber and arranged opposite the outlet of the blower.

11. yThe method of producing a batt, comprising providing a stream 0f air having ibrous material suspended therein, subjecting the suspended material to a pressure above atmospheric pressure, moving upwardly the suspended material while in the presence of the pressure above atmospheric pressure and-depositing the same in an upward direction in a substantially horizontal layer, moving the deposited layer longitudinally,

moving a flexible sheet upwardly into contact with the lower face of thedeposlted layer of the iibrous material while such brous material is subjected to the pressure above atmospheric pressure and applying the layer to the upper face of the sheet, forming an air seal and placing the air seal in communication with the pressure above atmospheric pressure, feeding the contacting deposited layer of the brous .material and sheet from the presence of the pressure above atmospheric pressure by passing the same through the air seal, and causing the pressure above atmospheric pressure to act upon the brous material in the direction of its feeding movement.

WARREN S. RAINFORD. EDDY C. HANSON. 

